The Visitor Revisited
by Helena Mira
Summary: Curious questions by Butch and Prudence encourage Nanny to start think of ways to get the Professor to make the engagement official. The story is a retelling of the episode "The Visitor."


_This story has missing scenes from and is a continuation of the episode "The Visitor" in which Butch's pen pal comes to visit. This story is also a continuation of the "Love Makes A Family" saga._

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from them._

**The Visitor Revisited**

**Prologue**

The family was sitting around the living room on a Sunday morning after church. The Sunday newspaper in all of its various section was divided between the various family members. The Professor had the main section, while Butch looked over the sports and Hal, the science. Trelawney and Prudence were looking through the comics together, as Trelawney quietly read them to her. Nanny, of course, had home and garden.

When she had first come to live with the family, Trelawney had been unsure of how she would fit in with family tradition. However, Prudence, determined to make her "new sister" feel like a part of the family, eagerly had offered to share her part. It was a good solution, because Trelawney enjoyed the funnies and Prudence no longer had to pester the others to read them to her.

Since attending the weekly church service had been instituted as another tradition, it had become Nanny's custom to ask one child each week about the Sunday school lesson.

When she had first come and heard the Everett children complaining, Trelawney just laughed and said, "Be glad there are four of us. I always had to repeat the lesson every week."

But then she had a thoughtful expression on her face, which gradually saddened. "I wouldn't mind repeating the lesson every week, if . . ."

Butch, blithely unaware of her change in mood and always looking for a way out of an unpleasant task, had jumped in and offered to let her take his turn, for which he earned a decent swat from his father with the newspaper. Trelawney's thoughts were stirring, because she remembered that if her parents were still alive, then she would still be repeating the lesson each week. Prudence, who was very sensitive to her feelings had put her arms around her and whispered, "there, there." Just as Nanny did for her when she was sad.

**"**So what was your Bible lesson today, Prudence?" asked Nanny after one Sunday church service.

"We learned about the story of the Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep," she answered obediently.

"And what happened in that story?" asked the Professor.

"Guy, Dad!" said Butch, annoyed because he was reading about the baseball playoffs that had just started. "Don't you know?"

"Of course I know," his father answered patiently. "I like to listen when Prudence tells us in her own words."

"So do I," muttered Hal to his brother. "It's always good for a few laughs."

"Do you have something to say, Hal?" asked the Professor, giving him that "you better not" look.

"Nothing, Dad!" replied Hal brightly.

"Well, good," said his father. "Now, Prudence, why don't you tell us the story?"

"Well, it was really a story that Jesus told his friends. You see once upon a time . . ."

"They never said once upon a time in the Bible," interrupted Butch.

"Daddy said to use my own words," answered Prudence smartly. "And these are my own words."

"Well done!" encouraged Trelawney. "That's the way to stand up to those boys!"

"I suppose that you're giving her lessons?" asked Hal.

"As a matter of fact . . ." began Trelawney.

"Stop interrupting, this is my story!" said Prudence spiritedly.

"Well done, Trelawney!" said Nanny. "It looks like you've taught her to stand up to everyone. Now, Prudence dear, you may tell your story."

Pleased that she finally had everyone's attention, Prudence began again,

"Once upon a time there was a Good Shepherd who had one hundred sheep."

"What was his name?" asked Butch, earning him a sharp look from his father.

"His name was . . . Paul and he had one hundred sheep, who didn't have names, except for one named Butch. One day, Paul was looking around at his sheep and counting them up and discovered that the one named Butch was missing, which didn't surprise him because Butch was the middle sheep and was always looking for attention."

"Dad!" complained Butch.

"You started it," answered his father.

"Prudence," said Hal. "If he had one hundred sheep, then there couldn't have been a middle sheep because one hundred is an even number."

"What's an even number?" asked Prudence.

"It means that you're using your story to get even with Butch," said Trelawney unhelpfully, which earned her a sharp look from Nanny.

"Okay, anyway," continued Prudence. "Paul wanted to get even with Butch so he let him go up to a cliff. Butch was really scared until because he thought that he was going to fall off, but at the last minute Paul saved him."

By this time, no one in the family was able to keep a straight face. Prudence was smiling broadly, but then she said, "Wait a minute! I have to tell you the lesson of the story."

"Please do," said Nanny not only because she was hoping to put an end to the nonsense, but she also didn't like it when the older children turned Bible stories into jokes.

"The lesson of the story is," she said seriously. "That even if you are a bad sheep the Good Shepherd will love you anyway."

"I think that that is about as close as we're going to get," said the Professor.

"But Dad!" said Butch.

"At least she didn't call you the black sheep," commented Trelawney.

"Nanny!" he said helplessly.

"That's enough, girls. Two against one isn't fair now, is it?" she asked.

"If Hal would join in then it would be two against two," said Prudence hopefully.

"No," said Butch. "It would only be two against one and a half because you're only a half."

"Enough with the insults!" said the Professor, before Hal and Trelawney could jump into the fray.

"Yes," asserted Nanny. "This is scarcely what I would call Sunday behavior. For one day out of the seven you should all take a rest from bickering with one another."

The four children looked at one another guiltily. They might take pleasure in their bickering and squabbling, but they all knew that Sunday was, well, Sunday.

Speaking for them all, Trelawney said, "Come on, you lot, let's leave the love birds alone. There's no bickering that we can do today, that we can't do tomorrow."

"Make sure that your homework is done," called the Professor after them as they went up the stairs. Moving himself over to the couch where he could sit next to Nanny, he leaned over to give her a kiss. Picking up his cue, she put her arms around his neck and responded with enthusiasm. In a minute, she pulled back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Prudence's versions of her Bible lessons can be very humorous but I'm afraid that they border on disrespectful," she said.

"And the other kids encourage her," added the Professor.

"Well you're not entirely innocent on that score," she reproved him.

"I'm not entirely innocent on another score," replied the Professor, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Hal . . ." she started, but didn't get to finish as she found herself being kissed once more.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Chapter 1: The Visitor**

When Butch's pen pal Billy showed up at their door a few days later, Nanny was suspicious. What kind of parents would allow their nine-year-old son to travel from Manitoba, Canada to California by hitchhiking? Something was definitely wrong, especially when the boy refused to call his parents, saying that he had called them when he had "hit town." It had not taken long for the Professor to ascertain that the boy was an orphan who had run away from a home for boys in Winnipeg. The director of the orphanage would be coming down shortly to bring him, but they didn't wish to spoil his good time.

However, they were not able to hide all this from Trelawney. She came to them the night before the big Cub Scout fair, for which Butch had made a fine terrarium. She stood before them after the other children had gone to bed, with her hands neatly folded in front of her. It was her "oracular posture" as they now called it. Although the pose and delivery were somewhat theatrical, she seemed to always have knowledge or insight into whatever situation was happening with her sister. This time her pronouncement was most unusual, even for her.

"Phoebe, Professor. I know it is late, but may I speak with you?" she asked politely.

"Go ahead," answered her sister.

"Billy is a kindred spirit," she said. "We must help him."

"So you know he is an orphan?" asked the Professor.

"He could not keep it from me," she replied simply. "Please don't make him go back. He is not one of the ninety-nine nameless sheep. He has a name, but he doesn't have a real name."

"Trelawney, I know that you must feel great sympathy for him, because you are also an orphan, but we have no other choice," explained Phoebe gently.

"I have never been one of the ninety-nine. I was lost, but my gallant knight rescued me. I have always had a real name," she replied, sounding odder than ever.

"Trelawney," asked the Professor quietly, not wishing to disturb her affect. "I cannot rescue Billy too."

She looked puzzled and then continued.

"Of course, you cannot. It is not allowed. Billy has his own angel, his own shepherd to bring him home," she replied.

"Trelawney, dear, we really don't know what to do about that. Mr. Jackwith will be arriving soon to return him to his home in Canada," answered Nanny.

"Billy's home is not his home. His home is here, but he doesn't know it yet," she replied.

"Well, we certainly don't know," said Nanny.

"Yes, you do Phoebe. You already know what to do," she said. She looked into her sister's eyes and Nanny knew that she was telling the truth, even if she didn't know what that truth was.

Then she yawned and shook herself a little.

"May I have a glass of milk before I go back upstairs?" she said in her normal tone of voice. "I am having trouble sleeping."

"Yes, dear, you may," said Nanny and called her over. Looking in her eyes once more, she asked gently, "Is Billy lost?"

"No, not anymore," answered the young girl, and skipped off.

"That girl never ceases to amaze me," said the Professor. "Should we be worried?"

"I don't know," said Nanny. "She hasn't done this in about a month. I think that it was Billy who triggered it. She called him a kindred spirit. And you know how she believes in angels."

"But what does it have to do with you?" asked the Professor.

"I believe that she is telling me to be on the alert, so to speak, for an opportunity to help Billy."

"And will you be?"

Smiling she replied, "I have been on the alert for an opportunity to help Billy since he walked in the door."

The Professor looked at her fondly and was still amazed that this beautiful woman had fallen in love with him. She had bent her head over her sewing again, but sensing his eyes on her, she looked up. She saw the love and wonder in his eyes and smiled softly back. No words needed to pass between. They knew each other's mind, and they agreed.

****

Two days later, everyone was sitting around the living room as a new drama of the creation of a family was unfolding. No one, except for Trelawney, had known that when Butch's friend Billy had shown up at the doorstep that he was actually a runaway orphan. Even when the Professor had discovered that boy was a runaway, he and Nanny had chosen not to tell any of the children. This meant that when the family had gone to the Cub Scout fair, no one knew that all of the stories that Billy had been telling them about life with his family back in Canada were lies.

However, as always, Nanny was able to see a happy ending in the making when Officer Parsons and his wife were at the fair. She knew that despite trying for a number of years they were still childless and that the officer was known for his wonderful children's photography. As they stood there, watching the children around them with their families, Nanny sensed their longing and decided to make things happen.

A mysterious gust of wind blew off Mrs. Parson's hat and she sent Billy off to fetch it. Smiling, she knew that her little trick had succeeded when she saw the couple talking with Billy and the chain of events was set off that had led to the present scene.

Mr. Jackwith had arrived from Canada but could not leave immediately with Billy. The young boy has run away with Butch. The delay offered the coincidental hand of fate enough time for the Parsons to arrive at the Everetts house with some pictures, just as Billy was about to leave with Mr. Jackwith. Nanny had invited everyone to stay for cocoa and dessert, and things began to work out for the best for all concerned, in their own time.

She could see the Professor looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't need to look directly at him to see the amusement in his face. He knew her well enough by now to know that such happy outcomes were more than mere coincidences. So did the children. Looking at the Parsons and Billy together, Prudence said,

"I knew everything was going to work out for you, Billy. When Trelawney and Nanny lost their parents they became a part of our family. And as our Cousin Emmeline always says, 'Love makes a family.'"

Everyone laughed because by quoting a relative she sounded so much like Nanny who frequently quoted relatives.

"Well," said Billy. "If love makes a family, then it looks like I finally got one."

Fred Parsons hugged him a little tighter and tears appeared in Carolyn Parsons' eyes. How long they had waited for this moment! It was as if the boy had appeared out of nowhere by magic. Trelawney looked on wisely. The Professor was grateful that she chose to be silent on this occasion. But then, he supposed that from her perspective, her work was done. She was looking at her sister and solemnly nodded.

Later, as the Professor was helping Nanny to clean up the living room he gathered her in his arms and looked at her lovingly.

"You knew all along, didn't you?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Why Professor, how could I have?" she said with mock outrage. These exchanges had become part of their playful repartee, which was often a prelude to a repartee of another kind.

"Oh I don't know . . ." he said as his mouth closed over hers. She responded immediately and for a few moments they were lost in each other. Drawing back she still felt the need to defend herself.

"Professor, I know that you think sometimes that I engineer, shall we say, these kind of events, but I really don't. I may help them get started because I have a feeling about what MAY happen, but what happens, happens in it's own time and way," she explained.

"Like that little wind that suddenly blew Mrs. Parson's hat away?" he asked.

Evading the question, she answered, "It was Billy who was kind enough to chase it and then charmed the Parsons all by himself. Remember, they didn't know he was an orphan and he don't know that they were childless."

"But you did," he responded, quickly catching her up for another kiss. It seemed to be the only way that he could get the last word in.

"Dad," said Butch coming into the living room. "Oh, you're busy. I can come back later."

The children no longer thought twice about seeing Nanny and their father kissing. They knew that it was only a matter of time before they got married and Nanny would be their Mom. However, they were all becoming a little impatient with their father, each for his or her own reason.

The Everett children had gone to Trelawney to ask her if they could do something about his procrastination, the way they had when Nanny's fiancé come and they had run him off. But Trelawney just shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid that there is nothing we can do now, but sit and wait," she said with a sigh. "It seems that everyone knows but him that it's time to just get the ring and ask her."

"Could we go back to teasing him about it?" asked Prudence.

"No," said Trelawney slowly. "Phoebe told us very specifically to stay out of it. He is the only one who can act in this matter. She believes that if we put more pressure on him, it will only make things take longer."

"Man," said Butch. "If they would just married then they could go off to their own room and do all that mushy stuff."

He was presently feeling that way, but he did want an answer to his question.

Annoyed by the interruption, the Professor now said, "Yes you can. Scram!"

But Nanny said, "That's all right. We aren't doing anything that we can't do later. What would you like?"

The Professor groaned, but under her breath she said, "This way, he won't try to interrupt us later."

Butch rolled his eyes. "Whatever it is that you're doing, I probably don't want to see it anyway, now or later. Can I invite Billy to come over tomorrow?"

"Butch," answered Nanny. "Perhaps we should give Billy some time to get to know his new parents. We can have him over in a couple of days."

"Okay," said Butch and he turned to go back upstairs. Then he turned again and said, "You guys can go back to what you were doing. I'll tell everyone to leave you alone."

Chuckling the Professor replied, "Thank you."

Turning back to Nanny he gave his full attention to the lovely woman in arms. He never loved her more than when she was demonstrating her love and kindness towards others, even, as in this case, the recipients were completely unaware.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Chapter 2: Bedroom Games**

A few nights later, they were sitting together in the living room. Despite the fact that they weren't even officially engaged yet, they looked like an old married couple. The Professor was reading and Nanny was knitting. Butch and Prudence came down and sat down expectantly before them. The Professor looked up and said, "Yes?"

"Dad," said Butch. "We were wondering about something."

"And what would that be?" the Professor returned his attention to his book.

"Well, Billy told me today that he and the Parsons went to the courthouse so that they could get adoption papers so that he would really be their son and his name would be Billy Parsons. How come you guys haven't gotten married yet, so that Nanny could be Mrs. Everett and really be our mother?" asked Butch.

"I want to be able to call Nanny, Mommy," added Prudence.

"Well Prudence," he answered, still focusing on his book, "I'm sure that Nanny wouldn't mind if you called her Mommy now. Although you might want to wait until after the wedding, then it will be more special."

Nanny smiled sweetly, but the Professor missed the twinkle in her eye. She knew what was coming next.

"Yeah," added Butch. "And Hal said that after you guys get married, then Nanny's gonna move into your bedroom."

"Uh, huh," said the Professor only half listening.

"Well, if Prudence can call Nanny, Mommy now, if she wants, then why can't Nanny move into your bedroom now, if she wants?"

"Well Butch, that depends on what she . . . WHAT?"

"I said . . ." began Butch patiently.

"I heard you the first time," said Professor turning pink. He took a peek a Nanny who was bending over her knitting. She seemed to be shaking with mirth.

"Where did you get the idea to ask that question?" asked the Professor.

"Well Trelawney said . . ." Prudence started.

"I knew it!" snapped the Professor. "Trelawney! Down here! Now!"

The girl came down and stood before them looking innocent.

"Did you put these two up to the conversation we just had?" he asked, his color rising along with his temper.

Butch and Prudence looked at her. They did not understand what all the fuss was about. However, by now Butch had his suspicions and was suddenly feeling as if he had been set up or something.

Trelawney didn't actually know the course that the conversation had taken, she just knew that if they took their questions downstairs, the way they got tangled up could be very amusing. Realizing this, Nanny filled her in.

"The Professor told Prudence that she might call me Mommy, even though we weren't officially married yet. So Butch asked if I wouldn't do him and Hal a favor and move into the Professor's bedroom. Before we were officially married that is," explained Nanny. But the time she got to the end however, she was ready to explode in laughter.

Trelawney did explode. She loved to cause mischief, but this time around things had reached a level that exceeded her wildest expectations. Butch and Prudence couldn't understand why she and then Nanny and finally their father were suddenly laughing out.

Unsure of whether she was more amused by Butch's syllogism or the Professor's discomfort, Nanny said, "There is no way that I can move into your father's bedroom until after we're officially married."

"Why not?" asked Prudence, not realizing that she had just dropped a bombshell.

Looking at her future husband Nanny said, "Your turn."

The Professor sobered up quickly. Butch and Prudence were expecting an answer. He suddenly realized that he was about to get into a conversation that he wasn't ready to have with either of them yet.

Seeing that he really didn't know what to say, Nanny called the two children over. Taking each by the hand she gently said,

"You are both too young to understand now, but when you are older you will understand why men and women do not share a bedroom until they are married."

"Does it have to do with making babies?" asked Prudence, whose desire for a baby sister meant that in her mind marriage and babies went together.

Not wanting to lie to the child, Nanny said softly, "Yes."

There was silence in the room as each pondered this in his or her own way.

Butch spoke first, "I don't understand."

"What now?" asked his father, fearfully.

"Well the Parsons are married and they don't have any kids. That's why they're adopting Billy," explained Butch.

The Professor visibly relaxed and Nanny answered, softly again, "Sometimes when people get married they can't have babies. Nobody knows why, but in this case it meant that Billy and the Parsons found each other and now they all can have the family that they always dreamed of."

"Nanny, are you and Daddy going to be able to make babies?" asked Prudence.

It was an obvious question, but Nanny found she wasn't able to find the words to answer. She looked at the Professor who put down his book and put his arm around her.

"Well Prudence, we won't know until we try," he answered seriously.

"Well, I hope you try very, very hard!" she declared emphatically.

With a twinkle in his eye the Professor answered, "You can count on it!"

"Thank you Daddy," said the little girl seriously.

Nanny tipped her head to Trelawney who was about to explode again. Seeing she had a way to get out of the mess she had created without punishment, she made the rather open-ended statement, "Come Butch and Prudence, let's go tell Hal what we just found out."

Before the Professor could blow up again, Butch said, "Yeah, he's gonna be mad when he finds out he's gonna have to wait longer for that room."

Turning back to Nanny, the Professor said, "He may have to wait longer than that. I was thinking about what a great nursery that room would make."

A glow filled Nanny's face as she smiled and said, "So was I. I wouldn't tell the kids that though."

"Good point, who knows what they'd tell the neighborhood!"

Altering the subject to use it more to her advantage, Nanny said, "Well they're not going to have anything to tell the neighborhood until we get a few things settled."

"Such as?"

"You realize of course that you have never officially asked me to marry you. You seem to be operating on assumptions," she answered half-seriously.

He knew she was teasing but he also felt uncomfortable. Until recently, it had felt as if everyone in town was on his back to put a ring on her finger and make things official. It was only in the last couple of weeks, when Nanny had finally tired of it, that the joking had stopped. But now she was bringing the topic up again.

But Nanny just looked at him and said, "Hal, you know that we both want to settle down and get married. Hal's desire for his own room notwithstanding, I am growing weary of sleeping in separate bedrooms, so to speak."

He knew what she was speaking of, but he still hadn't found the perfect ring.

"Phoebe, I feel the same way that you do. I'm looking forward to doing a lot more than just kissing you good night before we go to bed, so to speak," he said weakly, trying to give her a naughty look, but he was too busy feeling guilty about the ring to really pull it off.

He saw her looking at him with longing. But there was not a bit of reproach in her gaze. It was all love, pure and simple. It occurred to him that the ring now mattered much more to him than it did to her. As soon as the thought came into his mind, she smiled.

For once he pleased that she could read his mind, he took her knitting from her hands and put it aside. Taking her in his arms he began a long, slow kiss. There was a certain amount of pleasure to be had from the fact that she was no longer satisfied with kissing him. As she responded more passionately to that thought, he felt a stirring that meant that he would be looking forward to another cold shower before bed. He could feel her mouth smiling beneath his lips.

Moving down to her neck, he whispered in her ear, "You devil, I believe that you are trying to seduce me."

"Do you want to be seduced?" she whispered softly, her hand moving lower.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the mood.

"Dad!" this time it was it was Hal's voice. They could hear him pounding down the stairs.

"Go away Hal," said the Professor, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"But, Dad!" he called from the hallway.

"It can wait 'till tomorrow Hal," this time Nanny answered. Her voice had a definite edge to it.

"Oh, man!" he exclaimed.

There was a moment of silence, and then they heard, "Okay you guys! It's kissy face time again. Everyone stay out of the living room."

As they heard him stomping up the stairs they turned their attention back to each other. Hal was old enough to know that he should stay upstairs for the night.

"Kissy face time?" asked the Professor.

"Don't ask," replied Nanny, trying to reestablish the mood. "Just take advantage of it."

"Hmm," he said. "I think I'd rather take advantage of you."

"Is it taking advantage if the other party is encouraging you?" she replied as her hand slipped lower again.

He groaned and whispered, "Maybe I have it backwards, Miss Figalilly. Maybe you are taking advantage of me."

This time it was his turn to tease her by allowing his own hand to wander across her blouse.

Moaning softly, she said, "And if we were sharing the same bedroom, so to speak, taking advantage of each other would be so much easier. We wouldn't have to wait for the children to allow us to have 'kissy face' time."

Stopping himself before things could go any farther, mostly because he was reminded that the kids were still up and about, he pulled away. Knowing what he was thinking, and of course that he was right, she reluctantly let go.

Looking at him deeply with her intense blue eyes, she said, "What will it take to get you to make things official, once and for all? Will I have to seduce you?"

Laughing at the idea he said, "Maybe it would."

She could see that he did not take her question seriously, but she became thoughtful. She had been warned that he might never find the perfect ring without some incentive. If that's what it took, maybe a little seduction was in order. She glanced over at him engrossed in his book. She turned her attention back to her knitting, but her mind had begun to turn over the possibilities. A secretive smile appeared on her face, as she once again thought, if that's what it took . . .

**The End**

_To be continued . . ._


End file.
